Roll bending device for a rolling mill



Feb. 11, 1969 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3, 6,567 ALSO KNOWN As A DEAN SMITH ROLL SENDING DEVICE FOR A ROLIJING MILL 7 Sheet M4 Filed June 28, 1965 INVENTOR. m \30 aa A. DEAN SMITH 1 1 h BY v 5 FIG. I L/ ATTORNEY Feb. 11, 1969 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH ALSO KNOWN AS A DEAN SMITH ROLL BENDING DEVICE FOR A ROLLING MILL Sheet Filed June 28. 1965 8 5 G O 8 2 5RH G 7 Q 3 m r m N 2 0 2 9 m & 2 F V p 1 M E D A 4 a m u 2 A 4 2 4 466 2 7 w Q 8 v G 2 5 3 1 4mm8 G C! F F l G. 9

A TTORNEYS Feb. 11, 1969 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 4 3,426,567

ALSO KNOWN AS A DEAN SMITH ROLL BENDING DEVICE FOR A ROLLING MILL Filed June 28. 1965 Sheet 3 of 4 75" f I Y Q 1- I 8 f 74 L Y I8 I 22 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEYS Feb. 11, 1969 ARTHUR DEAN SMITH 3,426,567

ALSO KNOWN As A DEAN SMITH ROLL BENDING DEVICE FOR A ROLLING MILL Sheet Filed June 28, 1965 F l G. 6 (7 F l G. 12

' INVENTOR A. DEAN w United States Patent 3,426,567 ROLL BENDING DEVICE FOR A ROLLING MILL Arthur Dean Smith, also known as A. Dean Smith, San

Lorenzo, Calif., assignor to Kaiser Aluminum & Chemical Corporation, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 28, 1965, Ser. No. 467,612 US. Cl. 72--240 15 Claims Int. Cl. B21b 31/20, 31/16, 31/32 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An improved roll bending device for a rolling mill provided with at least one roll and separate chock block means connected to the opposite ends of the roll wherein the improved bending device advantageously comprises a lever arm means operatively connected at one end thereof to the roll and one of the chock block means associated therewith. The other end of the lever arm means is adapted to cooperate in an improved fashion with the other chock block means for the same roll or chock block means of a different roll in the same mill stand to effect a bending of the first named roll.

The instant invention relates to a rolling mill apparatus and more particularly to a rolling mill ap aratus incorporating an improved [means for applying selective bending loads to the rolls of a mill stand whereby a strip of material being rolled on the stand can have pressures applied thereto in addition and independently of the normal working loads applied to the strip so as to effectively control the shape and flatness of the rolled strip across its width.

In prior art rolling practices various means have been proposed for controlling the shape and flatness of the strip such as a strip of ferrous or non-ferrous metal across its width in order to produce rolled metal stock of the proper shape and acceptable flatness across its width. -In a typical rolling mill stand it is usual to employ a pair of work rolls in combination with a pair of backup rolls. This type of mill is referred to as a 4-high mill. Such a rolling mill stand incorporates screw down means for adjusting the gap between the work rolls by applying rolling loads to a pair of chock blocks associated with one of the backup rolls so as to adjust the roll gap of the Work rolls in accordance with the desired reduction of the strip as it moves between the work rolls.

Due to heat generated by the rolls of the mill, uneven cooling of the rolls, deflection of rolls out of their normal planes by the workpiece and other factors, changes in shape take place in various portions of the work rolls. This roll change in roll shape results not only in a failure to produce strip having a uniform shape from, edge-toedge, but also in a failure to obtain acceptable flatness in the strip. Various schemes have been proposed in the past to compensate for this change in roll shape, one approach being to apply bending loads to opposing ends of a roll such as the working or backup rolls and thereby causing flexing of the rolls to establish and restore proper or acceptable roll shape. These schemes have not proven to be completely satisfactory for various reasons, an important one of which is that the means previously employed created excessive loads on the housing or framework for the rolls of the mill, as well as the accessory equipment therefor.

Accordingly, it is a primary purpose of the instant invention to provide an improved rolling mill apparatus wherein novel means are employed for selectively and accurately applying bending loads to opposing ends of a mill roll, such as a backup roll, to control the ultimate contour or shape of the Work roll and in turn the shape and flatness of the material being processed without at the same time imposing any significant loads on the mill housing and accessory equipment.

This and other purposes and advantages of the instant invention will become more apparent from a review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction 'With the appended drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a typical 4-high rolling mill stand certain parts of which have been omitted and other parts of which have been shown in solid or dotted lines and illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial front elevational view of another 4-high rolling mill stand incorporating another embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is another sectional view generally taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a partial front elevational 'view of another 4-high rolling mill stand which illustrates a further embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 6A is a partial front elevational view of a portion of a modified roll bending device that can be used in the apparatus of FIG. 6;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along line 7.--7 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of FIG. 6 when taken generally along the line 8-8 of FIG. 6 and illustrates further details of the instant invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic view of a typical control circuit that can be used in actuating the roll bending devices of the instant invention;

FIG. 10 is a partial front elevational view of another rolling mill stand certain parts of which have been omitted and other parts of which have been shown in dotted and solid lines and illustrates a further embodiment of the instant invention;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 10, when rotated clockwise; and

FIG. 12 is an end elevational view of portions of a pair of upper and lower roll mounting chock blocks used to connect a roll bending device of the instant invention with a rolling mill roll.

With further reference to the drawings, one rolling mill apparatus that can be used in carrying out the teachings of the instant invention generally comprises a framework 10 made up of the usual elements assembled together to provide a base portion 12 and an upper cross member 14 interconnected by a pair of laterally spaced vertically extending leg members 16 at each end of the apparatus. Mounted within the windows 11 of the housing 10 is a plurality of adjustably and rotatably mounted rolls 18 and 20. These rolls comprise a pair of backup rolls 18 and a pair of work rolls 20. Rolls 18 and 20 are positively driven by conventional means (not shown). The rolls 18 are rotatably mounted within the housing 10 by chock blocks 22 and 24. Blocks 22 and 24 rotata'bly support the reduced end or neck portions 26 of the rolls 18 while at the same time being slidably disposed in windows 11 in the usual fashion. For the sake of simplicity the reduced ends of the work rolls 20 and the chock blocks for rotatably mounting the reduced ends thereof are not shown.

It is to be understood, however, that they are mounted in a similar manner as the backup rolls 18.

generally taken along line In order to adjust the rolls 18 and 20 relative to each other and relative to the housing 10, conventional screw down means generally indicated at 28 are employed. These screwdown means are partially shown as being vertically mounted within the cross member 14 in certain figures of the drawing, such as FIGS. 2 and 11, and they directly engage the upper chock blocks 22. A suitable actuating means (not shown) is gearingly connected to the feed screws 28 for adjusting the screws and in turn the spacing between the work rolls 20 in accordance with the requirements for reducing a given length of strip passed therebetween.

In some instances in order to compensate for stretching and elongation of the housing resulting from loads imposed on the housing during rolling, the usual push-up devices 30 operatively connected to the chock blocks 24 for the lower backup roll 18 can be employed. These push-up devices 30 are controlled by a suitable hydraulic control circuit (not shown) whereby appropriate amounts of fluid under pressure can be applied to the cylinders 30.

By virtue of the varying work loads imposed upon a strip as it passes between the work rolls and the counteracting loads imposed on the mill stand rolls by the strip, the mill stand rolls will tend to be deflected out of their original planes and the contour of the work rolls will change and the surface of a work roll will tend to assume a concave shape along its longitudinal axis. In the past in order to compensate for this the outer surfaces of work rolls have sometimes been purposely ground to give them a convex shape or crown along their longitudinal axis.

The corrective means provided by the instant invention for controlling work roll contour by compensating for the undesirable deflection of the rolls due to the action of the workpiece thereon and expansion of the rolls due to heatup in portions thereof comprise uniquely arranged lever arms operatively connected to the backup rolls in such a fashion that extremely accurate contour flexing of a backup roll and its associated work roll is obtained.

Various arrangements of levers can be employed all as indicated hereinafter and these lever arrangements are so designed to as to take full advantage of the lever prin ciple and inducement of the proper bending moments in the rolls during the roll bending operation.

In the various embodiments of the present invention disclosed in FIGS. 1-12 like parts are given like reference numbers unless otherwise specified. It is also to be understood that while the various embodiments of the present invention are disclosed and will be discussed with reference to the immediate or direct bending of backup rolls 18 the teachings of this invention can be applied to the work rolls 20 such as in a mill stand comprised of only two rolls or a Z-high mill stand. In this connection and for purposes of illustration the roll stand of FIG. 6 can be also viewed as a Z-high mill. Thus, unless otherwise specified in the claims the term roll is applicable either to a backup roll or work roll of a rolling mill stand.

With further reference to the drawings and particularly FIGS. 1 and 2, the upper chock blocks 22 of the embodiment of the invention shown therein can each have an outwardly extending arm portion or a lever or force applying means 23 integrally formed therewith. Arm portion 23 projects further outward than the outwardly extending arm portion 25 of the lower lever or force applying means 24 integrally formed with the lower chock block 24. This relative difference in projection of elements 23 and 25 permits a pair of parallel spaced lever arms 34 to be integrally formed with arm portion 23 and to extend downwardly from arm portion 23 in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the backup and work rolls 18 and 20 respectively. Arms 34 are of such a length whereby the free ends thereof are disposed in opposed relation to the exposed end face of the lower arm portion 25 of the lower or opposed lever means 24. The free ends of arms 34 are advantageously enlarged or have a bulbous configuration so as to accommodate the fluid cylinders 40 provided with pistons 44 which can be as indicated in the drawings linearly aligned with the central axis of the lower backup roll. It is to be understood, however, that the free ends of the arms 34 and 36 may not be generally aligned with the axis of their associated roll since such alignment is, of course, dependent upon the preselected sizes of the rolls 18 and 20 and the gap between the work rolls for the passage of a given strip of material. One end of each piston is disposed in abutting contact with and bears against the exposed end face of a lower arm portion 25.

Each of the lower or opposed lever means 24' is provided in a similar fashion with lever arms 36 which extend upwardly therefrom in an opposite fashion to lever arms 34 and in a direction generally transverse to the axis of the rolls 18 and 20. The free ends of the arms 36 can also be offset but linearly aligned with the central axis of an upper backup roll 18. Fluid cylinders 38 provided with pistons 42 and affixed to each of the upper chock blocks 22 so that the pistons 42 are disposed in operative and bearing engagement with the opposed free ends of the lever arms 36.

When fluid under pressure is introduced into the fluid cylinders 38 and 40 extension of the pistons 42 and 44 in their respective cylinders apply force couples on the interlaced lever arms 34 and 36 causing the interlaced lever arms 36 and 34 to pivot in counter-relation to each other. By virtue of such pivoting and the resultant bending moment induced in the ends of the backup rolls. 18 the backup rolls 13 will flex and the axis of the rolls 18 will assume the curved lines shown in an exaggerated fashion by the dotted lines 32 in FIG. 1. The degree of fleXure of the backup rolls 18 and the work rolls 20 is, of course, determined by the magnitude of the bending moments resulting from the pressure applied by the filling of fluid cylinders 38 and 40 relative to the overall strength of rolls 18 and 20. By virtue of the work rolls 20 being in rolling contact with the backup rolls 18 as well as the strip being processed the desired controlling bending moments will be induced in the work rolls 20 and result in a controlled shaping of work roll surface whereby each work roll will be forced to assume the proper shape for rolling strip of the proper shape and acceptable flatness.

Although not heretofore mentioned, it is to be understood that appropriate roll bearing elements (not shown) are used to mount the necks 26 of the various work and backup rolls in the respective chock in such a fashion that the introduction of the proper bending moments into the backup and work rolls 18 and 20 by the fluid cylinders 38 and 40 as aforedescribed will not interfere with the normal rotation of these rolls.

Reference is now made to FIG. 9 which illustrates schematically a suitable control circuit for actuating the upper and lower fluid cylinders 38 and 40 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. The control circuit 46 is preferably a hydraulic circuit comprising a pump 48 for supplying fluid under pressure from a source 50 to the separate groups of fluid cylinders 38 and 40 through a series of conduits interconnected by line 52. In order to selectively control the fluid pressure delivered to the fluid cylinders 38 and 40, a suitable pressure control means 54 is located in the line 52 intermediate the pump 48 and the separate groups of cylinders 38 and 40. In the event the fluid under pressure within the circuit 46 exceeds a predetermined value, a fluid relief valve 56 can be connected in the manner shown to relieve the excess pressure. In addition, a pair of normally open valve means 57 can if desired be located in the branch lines 52' between the separate groups of cylinders 38 and 40 and the control means 54 whereby the valves 57, can be used to independently control the flow of fluid to either group of fluid cylinders 38 and/ or 40 as the case may be. From the above it is obvious that when the pressure control means 54 allows fluid under pressure to pass through the interconnected conduits 52 and 52 to the cylinders 38 and 40 an equal amount of fluid under pressure is distributed to each of the cylinders 38 and 40 so that all lever arms 34 and 36 are simultaneously actuated to induce the proper bending moments into the rolls 18 and 20 to therefore flex so as to restore or establish the proper rolling shape thereof. The bearing surface of a piston 38 or 44 is purposely rounded so as to provide for constant contact between a piston 38 or 44 and associated chock block even when a relative movement of the chock results from the application of a force thereto by one of the lever arrangements proposed herein. Alternatively, closure of one of the valves 57 will permit actuation of only the lever arms 34 or 36 if desired so that only one of the backup rolls 18 has a bending moment induced therein.

A further embodiment of the instant invention is disclosed in FIGS. 3-5, wherein upper chock blocks 22 are each operatively connected to separate pairs of lever arms. More specifically the left hand chock block 22 can have integrally formed therewith a lateral outward extension or arm portion 61 which surrounds the end or neck portion 26 of the roll. A pair of parallel and spaced lever arms 62 are integrally formed at their inner ends to the arm portion 61 in such a fashion that the arms 62 extend parallel to the axis of the roll 18. Similarly the right-hand chock block 22 as viewed in FIG. 3 includes an outward lateral extension 57' integrally formed therewith and surrounding the other end or neck portion 26. A paid of parallel and spaced lever arms 58 interposed between arms 62 are formed at their inner end integrally with the arm portion 57' so that the arms 58 also extend generally parallel to the axis of the roll 18.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 the upper portion of the force applying means adjacent the inner ends of the arms 62 is provided with a pair of laterally spaced inwardly directed recesses 60 which open outwardly toward the interior of housing 10. The upper wall of each recess has a fluid cylinder 38 affixed thereto in a suitable fashion. The purpose of each recess 60 is to permit insertion therein of the free end of one of the arms 58 whereby the free end is disposed in operative contact with the rounded head of piston 42 disposed in a cylinder 38 located in recess 60.

The upper portion of the arm portion 57' associated with the right-hand chock block 22 as viewed in FIG. 3 includes laterally outwardly extending flanges 63 disposed directly above right-hand chock block 22 and spaced therefrom by transverse grooves 64. One groove 64 opens outwardly toward the exit end of the mill stand and the other groove 64 opens outwardly toward the entry end of the mill stand. The upper wall of each groove 64 as in the case of recesses 60 likewise has a fluid cylinder 38 afiixed thereto. The rounded edge of the piston 42 is disposed in operative contact with the opposed surface of the free end of an associated lever arm 62 in the manner shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As in the case of the emw bodiment disclosed in FIGS. 1 and 2, appropriate bearings (not shown) are disposed between the roll neck portions 26 and the leftand right-hand chock blocks 22 for rotatably mounting roll 18 in its respective rightand left-hand chock blocks.

When the fluid cylinders 38 are actuated by a hydraulic circuit of the type shown in FIG. 9, pistons 42 can be extended and cause the lever arms 58 and 62 to pivot in counter-relation to each other so that appropriate bending moments will be induced in the ends of roll 18 through the force applying arm means 57 and 61 and roll 18 will flex the desired amount to cause a similar reaction and controlled'shaping of the work roll (not shown).

Although not specifically shown in FIG. 3, it is to be understood that a lower backup roll 18 can be provided with a similar lever arrangement for inducing a bending moment in its end portions.

A further embodiment of the instant invention is disclosed in FIGS. 6-8. In the lever arrangement illustrated in these figures, the levers are connected in a unique fashion to the chock blocks 22. They involve two pairs of spaced lever arms 70 and 72 arranged generally parallel to each other and the axis of the backup roll 18. Arms 70 and 72 are connected to the force applying means by links 74 atfixed by suitable bearings (not shown) to the neck portions 26 of an upper backup roll 18. The outer lever arms 70 are spaced from each other to accommodate the inner pair of spaced lever arms 72. Lever arms 70 are interconnected adjacent one extremity thereof by way of a bridge element 76 the bottom surface of which is advantageously stepped as will be subsequently described to enable a fulcrum connection of the lever arms 70 to the left-hand chock block 22 which is correspondingly stepped as indicated particularly in FIG. 7 along its top surface to provide for this fulcrum or operative connection with the bridge element 76. More specifically, the top outer extremities of this chock block 22 include a transversely extending arcuate surface 78 of convex configuration that is in mating contact with a corresponding arcuate surface 80 of concave configuration provided on the outer lower extremities of the bridge element 76.

The intermediate portion 82 of the chock block 22 of FIG. 7 is spaced from and projects above the arcuate surfaces 78 so that a transversely extending groove 84 is disposed between the intermediate portion 82 and each arcuate surface 78. Each groove 84 projects in a direction parallel to the axis of roll 18. The bridge element 76 can include an intermediate portion 82' which simulates portion 82 of a chock block 22 so that between its outer extremities 80 and intermediate portion 82' a pair of spaced grooves 84' are provided each of which is aligned with a groove 84 in the chock block 22 of FIG. 7. A pair of aligned grooves 85 and 84 advantageously define a common groove 84 as best shown in FIG. 7 which houses the free end of an arm 72 as well as the fluid cylinders 38. The bridge element 76 contains an outwardly projecting end portion 86 that is adapted to be operatively connected with the left end force applying link 74 as viewed in FIG. 6.

The lower portion of this left hand link 74 as viewed in FIG. 6 is provided with an opening '75 within which the roll neck 26 of roll 18 is mounted by suitable bearings (not shown). The upper portion of this. left hand link 74 contains an aperture 90 which receives the reduced end portion 86- of bridge element 76. The aperturecan have a squared off type of crossection such that a bearing insert 92 can be aflixed to the upper Wall thereof with the arcuate surface of bearing insert 92 being in mating contact with the upper flat wall of the reduced end portion 86 of bridge 76 disposed within the aperture 90 in the same general fashion as bearing insert 92 contacts the similar portion 86 of the bridge element 96 shown in FIG. 8 and to be hereafter more fully described.

Considering the other pair of arms 72 a somewhat T-shaped "bridge element 96 is used therewith and with the right hand chock block 22 of FIG. 6. Bridge element 96 extends transversely of arms 72 and is integrally connected to the stem 96 thereof at the inner portion of these arms 72. Bridge element 96 is mounted on top of the right hand chock block 22 as shown in FIG. 6. The bottom 98 of the stem 96' is arcuately and inwardly curved in a direction parallel to the axis: of roll 18 to receive the correspondingly arcuately and outwardly curved top intermediate portion 100 of this right chock block 22. The bottom surface of a wing 97 and side surface of the stem 96' combine with a top outer surface of a chock block to define a groove 102 on each side of the stem 96 of bridge element 96. Grooves 102 extend parallel to the axis of roll 18 and serve as receptacles for the free ends of lever arms 70 extending from the left hand chock block 22 of FIG. 6. The free ends of lever arms are operatively connected with the fluid cylinders 38 also disposed in these grooves through their contact with the rounded head ends of the pistons 42 mounted in cylinders 38. The outwardly extending section of bridge element 96 corresponds to section 86 of bridge element 76. Section 86 is linked to a neck 26 of roll 18 through the medium of a right hand link element 74 as viewed in FIG. 6. This same link element 74 is shown in FIGS. 6 and 8 as having a lower opening 75 for receiving the roll neck and an upper Window 90 for receiving the mounting bridge section 86 therein through the medium of a bearing insert 92.

When fluid under pressure is directed to the fluid cylinders 38 by means of a suitable control circuit such as that of FIG. 9 it will be obvious that the free ends of both pairs of arms '70 and 72 are pivoted about their respective fulcrum points or surfaces 78 and 100 on the opposing chock blocks 22 so that the lever links 74 apply the appropriate bending loads on the roll necks 26 and effect a flexing of the roll 18 the desired amount.

Although not shown, it is to be understood that a lower backup roll 18 in the roll stand of FIG. 6 can be attached to and controlled by the same type of lever arrangement as aforedescribed relative to the upper backup roll 18 of the same mill stand. In the event the lower backup roll of the mill stand of FIG. 6 is provided with the backup roll bending arrangement of FIG. 6 when the hydraulic circuit of FIG. 9 is actuated the fluid cylinders 40 associated with the lower backup roll would also be simultaneously actuated to thereby flex and bend the lower backup roll along with the flexing and bending of the upper backup roll.

A modification of the aforedescribed embodiment of the invention disclosed in FIGS. 68 is shown in FIG. 6a wherein the force applying means or link 74 is integrally formed with its associated pair of lever arms 70 or 72 as the case may be. In other words, the extension 86 of a bridge element 96 or 96' can have a right angle bend or elbow 106 connected directly to the link 74' in lieu of a separate lever link 74. Further, as indicated previously, the mill stand of FIG. 6 can be considered as a 2-high mill stand in which case the roll 18 would serve as the work roll.

FIGS. -12 disclose still a further embodiment of the invention involving a unique lever system for inducing bending moments in a pair of backup rolls 18. In this embodiment of the invention the lever means are arranged to extend generally transversely to the axes of the rolls. This embodiment of the invention comprises a first and second series of levers or force applying means 110 and 112. These levers 110 and 112 are located on each side of the mill stand and one series of levers 110 is connected to the upper backup roll 18 while the other series of levers 112 is connected to the lower backup roll 18.

The force applying means 110 for the upper backup roll 18 includes a pair of lever arms 114 which extend transversely to the axes of the backup rolls with their free ends terminating adjacent the lower backup roll. The free ends of each lever arm .are provided with enlarged hollowed out segments which house fluid cylinders 38 therein. The rounded heads of pistons 42 mounted in these cylinders can advantageously contact the outer faces of the lower series of levers 112. Each of the lower series of force applying levers 112 includes a pair of lever arms 116 disposed in a generally parallel fashion to each other and the lever arms 114. The free ends of the arms 116 also terminate adjacent the upper backup roll 18. Fluid cylinders 40 are located in the manner shown in FIGS. 10-1l in recesses in the upper series of levers 110 so that the round heads of the pistons .are disposed in operative contact with the free ends of arms 116.

The upper portions of levers 110 are provided with a pair of parallel and spaced ears 118 that are offset outwardly relative to arms 114 of the levers 110 while being mounted on lateral extensions 111 on the upper chock blocks 22 for the upper backup roll 18. The lower edge of an ear 118 has arcuate surface 120 of concave configuration that is in mating contact with a corresponding arcuate surface 121 of convex configuration formed on the extension 111 of an upper chock block 22 which is offset from but generally located parallel to the axis of the upper backup roll 118. In FIG. 12 the left side of the center line of this figure shows a typical half of the upper chock block 22 and the right side of the center line shows a typical half of a lower chock block 24.

The lower series of levers 112 are likewise provided with a pair of lateral extrusions or spaced ears 126. The upper surface 127 of each ear 126 is advantageously arcuately shaped so as to have a concave surface disposed in mating contact with a correspondingly shaped convex surface provided on a lower chock block 24. With reference again to FIG. 12 the lower chock block 24 disposed on the right side of the center line has a groove 128 disposed inwardly along the vertical side thereof similar to the groove 122 in an upper chock block 22 but below the transverse center line of the lower chock block in contrast to the upper chock block. The arcs of the several surfaces 121 and 130 project in directions preferably parallel to the axes of the backup rolls 18 while being olfset from the axis of the work rolls.

When the fluid cylinders 38 and 40 are actuated such as by the control circuit of FIG. 9 the lever arms 114 and 116 are pivoted about the fulcrum points located intermediate their free ends and surfaces 120 and 127 so as to apply the desired loads on backup rolls 18 and the desired bending moments in the upper and lower backup rolls 18 through the medium of the chock blocks 22 and 24 to which they are connected, whereby the desired controlled shaping of the backup and work rolls will be efiected.

An advantageous embodiment of the invention has been shown and described. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as set forth in the appended claims, wherein What is claimed is:

1. In a rolling mill stand, a housing, at least one roll, and chock blocks attached to the opposite ends of the roll for mounting the roll in the housing, means for bending said roll to thereby control the shape thereof during a rolling operation, said bending means comprising at least one angular lever arm means and an initial force applying means operatively connected to one end portion of said arm means, means including one of said chock blocks for operatively connecting another part of the lever arm means in fulcrum fashion to an end of said roll whereby upon activation of said initial force applying means said lever arm means will be pivoted to apply a bending load to one end of said roll and induce a bending moment therein and means for disposing said initial force applying means at an angle relative to the normal longitudinal axis of said lever arm means whereby said initial force applying means can apply pressure to said arm means initially in a direction that is located at an angle to the normal longitudinal axis of said lever arm means.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said initial force applying means comprises a fluid actuator.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said roll comprises a work roll.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said roll comprises a backup roll.

5. Ina rolling mill stand comprised of :a housing, a pair of rolls mounted within said housing, chock blocks aflixed to the ends of said rolls for mounting the rolls in the housing, means for bending said rolls and for controlling the shape of the rolls during the processing of a strip of material in said mill stand, said roll bending means comprising a first and second series of initial force applying means, a first and second angular lever arm means, a free end portion of the first lever arm means being operatively connected to said first series of initial force applying means while another portion thereof is operatively connected to an end of one of said rolls, means including a chock block for operatively connecting said first lever arm means in fulcrum fashion to said first named roll end, a free end portion of the second lever arm means being operatively connected to said second series of initial force applying means while another portion thereof is operatively connected to an end of the other of said rolls, means including a second chock block for operatively connecting said second lever arm means in fulcrum fashion to said other roll end whereby upon operation of said first and second series of initial force applying means said first and second lever arm means will be pivoted and act to apply bending loads toeach of said rolls and means for disposing at least one of said initial force applying means at an angle relative tothe normal longitudinal axis of the lever arm means with which said last mentioned initial force applying means is associated, whereby said last mentioned means can initially apply pressure in a direction located at an angle to the longitudinal axis of said last mentioned lever arm means.

6. In a rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 5 wherein said first and second lever arm means each comprise a plurality of pairs of separate lever arms, the respective pairs of lever arms of said first lever .arm means being connected to opposing ends of one roll, while the respective pairs of lever arms of said second lever arm means are connected to opposing ends of the other roll.

7. In a rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 6 wherein all of the lever arms are arranged substantially parallel to each other.

8. In a rolling mill stand as set forth in claim -6, wherein the lever arms are arranged parallel to the axis of the rolls.

9. In a rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 6, wherein the lever arms are arranged at an angle to the axis of the rolls.

10. In a rolling mill stand comprised of a housing, work rolls and backup rolls, and chock blocks for said rolls, means for applying bending loads to the end of said backup rolls, said roll bending means including fluid actuators, a plurality of pairs of angular lever arm means operatively connected to said fluid actuators, certain pairs of said lever arm means being operatively connected in fulcrum fashion to opposing ends of one of said backup rolls, means including certain of said chock blocks for operatively connecting said certain pairs of lever arm means in fulcrum fashion to opposing ends of said one backup roll, other pairs of lever arm means being operatively connected to opposing ends of the other backup roll, and means including others of said chock blocks for operatively connecting said other pairs of said lever arm means in fulcrum fashion to the opposing ends of the other backup roll, said fluid actuators being disposed at an angle to the normal longitudinal axis of the lever arm means to which said fluid actuators are operatively connected.

11. A rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 10, wherein said lever arm means are all arranged substantially parallel to eachother and at an angle to the axis of the rolls.

12. A rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 10, Where all of the lever arm means in said pairs of lever arm means are arranged substantially parallel to each other and to the axis of the said rolls.

13. A rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 10, wherein each pair of lever arm means is formed integrally with a chock block for the roll upon which bending loads are imposed by said pair of lever arm means.

14. A rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 10, wherein certain pairs of lever arm means are connected by a fulcrum arrangement to the chock blocks associated therewith.

15. A rolling mill stand as set forth in claim 10', wherein certain pairs of lever arm means and certain chock blocks are provided with mating concave convex portions for interconnecting said pairs of lever arm means and chock blocks together.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,430,410 11/ 1947 Pauls 72243 2,903,926 9/1959 Reichl 72-8 3,171,305 3/1965 Stone 72-241 3,228,219 1/1966 Fox 72-16 3,250,105 5/1966 Stone 72-240 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. A. RUDERMAN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 72-243, 245 

